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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Avi,

Lost in the Empire City

304 pp. | HarperCollins/Quill Tree | October, 2024 | Trade ISBN 9780063086951 $18.99 | Ebook ISBN 9780063086975 $10.99
(4) 4-6 Historical fiction mainstay Avi presents a slow-burn turn-of-the-previous-century novel detailing the harrowing experience of one Italian immigrant as he navigates a new world where “no one cares about immigrants unless they want you to do something unpleasant.” At the request of his father who immigrated to America years earlier, thirteen-year-old (“perhaps fourteen”) Santo, along with his mother and siblings, leave Italy for the promise of a better life. The family is separated on Ellis Island; alone and unable to find his father, Santo is effectively forced into a gang of young thieves. Run by a tyrannical teen leader, the gang becomes an uneasy source of security for Santo. In the end, the family is (mostly) reunited—arguably through a series of slightly implausible events. The first-person narrative is concise; short chapters and multiple cliffhangers will compel readers forward. An author’s note provides brief historical context on the crime ring presented in the book, plus select resources.
Reviewer: Patrick Gall

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